BUYERS BEWARE!!! Title altering and odometer rollback 100 series LC's

[Jerzywerzy5]

CA DMV is the WORST. In CA, when they do VIN verification on out of state vehicle title transfers, all I have ever seen them do do is look at the vin tags and the odometer. Never have I seen anyone cross reference date of manufacture with model year on the title.

Model year is determined from the 10th VIN digit. Build date does not indicate model year. 99 would be X and 02 would be 2.

 

[Rush 2112]

How do they know it is altered, did you tell them? To move forward, I would try another DMV location and just get the title into your name. Wait a bit, and then play dumb and try to get a correct title re-issued. You know its not stolen, you aren't doing anything nefarious, you're just trying to get through the system that is filled with red tape and people who really don't care about this crappy situation you are in. CA DMV is the WORST. In CA, when they do VIN verification on out of state vehicle title transfers, all I have ever seen them do do is look at the vin tags and the odometer. Never have I seen anyone cross reference date of manufacture with model year on the title.

Thank you. I may try that. My Tile application will be for a 99 and title reads 02. It might slip through but if someone catches it down the line it may be hard to get my title back.

 

[Rush 2112]

Model year is determined from the 10th VIN digit. Build date does not indicate model year. 99 would be X and 02 would be 2.

It's an X

 

[Rush 2112]

So @Rush2112 if you follow Joseph’s post, he found a GX460 on Facebook and asked the site for opinions. Since then he purchased the vehicle and changed the wheels, lol good for him! That was in March. Between the Facebook sale in Nevada and the info on car-fax showing the VIN his black GX460, may be you could find him. Good luck !

Thread '2016 Lexus GX460 from private seller, good buy?'

Mar 12, 2025

Hi all,

I looking into potentially buying a 2016 Lexus gx460 from a private seller and wanted to reach out to see if anyone has any input. I looked at the car already and it looks good from my initial inspection (I am not a mechanic) and since then he agreed to take it to a Lexus dealer to have a full pre purchase inspection done before a sale. When inspecting it, I met him at his house and he showed me current registration, receipt of purchase from Lexus, and payment invoices for the vehicle. Every thing seems to check out at the moment and the plan is to have it inspected on Saturday...

• jsphaguirre
• Replies: 10
• Forum: GX460 / Prado150

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Thank you!! I tried to locate him on Facebook (actually my wife did) with no luck.

 

[Jerzywerzy5]

It's an X

Every states DMV is different but In Ca the altered title would be useless and you would likely have to use a title service and bond the title. Some of the Montana title companies can also help. If the vehicle was wholesaled a few times then there should have been areas filled in for transfer on the title or notes referring to DMV 262 or other transfer documents unless all that was scrubbed and you are saying seller made a fake id of the title holder. Was the entire VIN on the title changed and you never checked the VIN of the vehicle?

 

[EWheeler]

Thank you. I may try that. My Tile application will be for a 99 and title reads 02. It might slip through but if someone catches it down the line it may be hard to get my title back.

Apply for a title that is identical to the one in your possession. Don’t go in and ask for a new title that says 99 when then one you are transferring says 02. Just try to get the title in your name, in your state, and then figure out how to get the title corrected down the road to show the correct model year. That’s what i would do….

 

[Rush 2112]

Every states DMV is different but In Ca the altered title would be useless and you would likely have to use a title service and bond the title. Some of the Montana title companies can also help. If the vehicle was wholesaled a few times then there should have been areas filled in for transfer on the title or notes referring to DMV 262 or other transfer documents unless all that was scrubbed and you are saying seller made a fake id of the title holder. Was the entire VIN on the title changed and you never checked the VIN of the vehicle?

Only the Yr and odometer date were altered.

 

[Rush 2112]

Apply for a title that is identical to the one in your possession. Don’t go in and ask for a new title that says 99 when then one you are transferring says 02. Just try to get the title in your name, in your state, and then figure out how to get the title corrected down the road to show the correct model year. That’s what i would do….

Pretty sure their system would not spit out a 02 title with a 99 vin. At least i would hope not.

 

[Rush 2112]

Please be careful about posting anyone's personal info on the forum.

Copy that.

 

[Rush 2112]

My guy was 6' sh, slim, well dressed, dark complexion, accent. Appeared middle eastern to me.

Mid to late 20's

 

[41togo]

Apply for a title that is identical to the one in your possession. Don’t go in and ask for a new title that says 99 when then one you are transferring says 02. Just try to get the title in your name, in your state, and then figure out how to get the title corrected down the road to show the correct model year. That’s what i would do….

That makes the most sense, probably quickest without investor involvement…in other words just apply for a duplicate CA title as if the original is damaged, lost, or in this case defaced.

 

[Jerzywerzy5]

That makes the most sense, probably quickest without investor involvement…in other words just apply for a duplicate CA title as if the original is damaged, lost, or in this case defaced.

You can’t just apply for a title that is not in your name. OP is likely going to have to proceed as if title is lost. An altered title is not likely usable. He will have to use a title company and bond the title.

 

[Jerzywerzy5]

Only the Yr and odometer date were altered.

Was it not apparent from the condition that the vehicle had almost 300k more miles than presented?

 

[Rush 2112]

On 10/21/2025 I responded to a Craigslist ad for a 2002 Lexus LX 470 One owner with 64,000 miles. I met the seller in Vancouver, WA, I live just across the river in Oregon. The seller gave me a copy of the Carfax and copies of recent repairs that included Timing Belt and brakes. He showed me his driver license that matched the name and address on the front of the title. All vin #s on the vehicle match the title and the odometer read 64,000. A few days later I was looking through the owners manual and noticed it was for a 1999 not a 2002. Odd. I then ran my own Carfax and it came back for a 1999 with 340K miles. I contacted California DMV and they confirmed the vehicle is a 1999 and was not listed as stolen, but that the seller had altered the year and odometer date on the front of the title. I filed an online fraud report with Ca. DMV and was told it would be 4-6 weeks before they even look at it.
I came to this forum looking to see if it's possible to rollback the odo or if the whole cluster was replaced. I stumbled onto a thread by jsphaguirre basically explaining the same happened to him back in February of this year. He posted a timing belt invoice that is exactly, except for dealer and vehicle, as the one I received from my seller. There is also a post from reduc saying the same thing happened to him.
I did not buy this vehicle as a daily driver. I was going to park it in my shop, crack open a beer, and tinker with it. Financially it hurts but not the end of the world. Mainly my pride is hurt.
If anyone can help me get in contact with jsphaguirre or reduc it would be greatly appreciated. I have sent both private message on this forum but no response. They both filed Ca. DMV fraud reports and I was hoping to get in touch with one or both of their investigators. I really want to put these MOFO's in jail before they do this to someone else. Thanks

Was it not apparent from the condition that the vehicle had almost 300k more miles than presented?

I took some pics and I'm trying to post them. Any help on how to that would be great.

 

[Rush 2112]

On 10/21/2025 I responded to a Craigslist ad for a 2002 Lexus LX 470 One owner with 64,000 miles. I met the seller in Vancouver, WA, I live just across the river in Oregon. The seller gave me a copy of the Carfax and copies of recent repairs that included Timing Belt and brakes. He showed me his driver license that matched the name and address on the front of the title. All vin #s on the vehicle match the title and the odometer read 64,000. A few days later I was looking through the owners manual and noticed it was for a 1999 not a 2002. Odd. I then ran my own Carfax and it came back for a 1999 with 340K miles. I contacted California DMV and they confirmed the vehicle is a 1999 and was not listed as stolen, but that the seller had altered the year and odometer date on the front of the title. I filed an online fraud report with Ca. DMV and was told it would be 4-6 weeks before they even look at it.
I came to this forum looking to see if it's possible to rollback the odo or if the whole cluster was replaced. I stumbled onto a thread by jsphaguirre basically explaining the same happened to him back in February of this year. He posted a timing belt invoice that is exactly, except for dealer and vehicle, as the one I received from my seller. There is also a post from reduc saying the same thing happened to him.
I did not buy this vehicle as a daily driver. I was going to park it in my shop, crack open a beer, and tinker with it. Financially it hurts but not the end of the world. Mainly my pride is hurt.
If anyone can help me get in contact with jsphaguirre or reduc it would be greatly appreciated. I have sent both private message on this forum but no response. They both filed Ca. DMV fraud reports and I was hoping to get in touch with one or both of their investigators. I really want to put these MOFO's in jail before they do this to someone else. Thanks

 

[Rush 2112]

On 10/21/2025 I responded to a Craigslist ad for a 2002 Lexus LX 470 One owner with 64,000 miles. I met the seller in Vancouver, WA, I live just across the river in Oregon. The seller gave me a copy of the Carfax and copies of recent repairs that included Timing Belt and brakes. He showed me his driver license that matched the name and address on the front of the title. All vin #s on the vehicle match the title and the odometer read 64,000. A few days later I was looking through the owners manual and noticed it was for a 1999 not a 2002. Odd. I then ran my own Carfax and it came back for a 1999 with 340K miles. I contacted California DMV and they confirmed the vehicle is a 1999 and was not listed as stolen, but that the seller had altered the year and odometer date on the front of the title. I filed an online fraud report with Ca. DMV and was told it would be 4-6 weeks before they even look at it.
I came to this forum looking to see if it's possible to rollback the odo or if the whole cluster was replaced. I stumbled onto a thread by jsphaguirre basically explaining the same happened to him back in February of this year. He posted a timing belt invoice that is exactly, except for dealer and vehicle, as the one I received from my seller. There is also a post from reduc saying the same thing happened to him.
I did not buy this vehicle as a daily driver. I was going to park it in my shop, crack open a beer, and tinker with it. Financially it hurts but not the end of the world. Mainly my pride is hurt.
If anyone can help me get in contact with jsphaguirre or reduc it would be greatly appreciated. I have sent both private message on this forum but no response. They both filed Ca. DMV fraud reports and I was hoping to get in touch with one or both of their investigators. I really want to put these MOFO's in jail before they do this to someone else. Thanks

 

[Rush 2112]

Every states DMV is different but In Ca the altered title would be useless and you would likely have to use a title service and bond the title. Some of the Montana title companies can also help. If the vehicle was wholesaled a few times then there should have been areas filled in for transfer on the title or notes referring to DMV 262 or other transfer documents unless all that was scrubbed and you are saying seller made a fake id of the title holder. Was the entire VIN on the title changed and you never checked the VIN of the vehicle?

Vin on title matches vin on vehicle. They changed year on front of title from 1999 to 2002.

 

[Jerzywerzy5]

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Very clean.

 

[3_puppies]

Apply for a title that is identical to the one in your possession. Don’t go in and ask for a new title that says 99 when then one you are transferring says 02. Just try to get the title in your name, in your state, and then figure out how to get the title corrected down the road to show the correct model year. That’s what i would do….

X2 just get it in your name, @EWheeler suggested this before

Pretty sure their system would not spit out a 02 title with a 99 vin. At least i would hope not.

you won't know unless you try, with no obvious signs of alteration, it should go thru

this isn't great that you are dealing with this situation.
Honestly I don't think there will be any resolution by the judicial system.
Best is to get the word out.
As a well known talk host states, pay the stupid tax and move on and learn from it.
the pics of the rig look very nice, I would register it and drive it, there are many, many of these over 500,000 miles, mileage is overrated, this isn't 1980's anymore when rigs were gone at 100,000 miles

 

[Rush 2112]

X2 just get it in your name, @EWheeler suggested this before




you won't know unless you try, with no obvious signs of alteration, it should go thru

this isn't great that you are dealing with this situation.
Honestly I don't think there will be any resolution by the judicial system.
Best is to get the word out.
As a well known talk host states, pay the stupid tax and move on and learn from it.
the pics of the rig look very nice, I would register it and drive it, there are many, many of these over 500,000 miles, mileage is overrated, this isn't 1980's anymore when rigs were gone at 100,000 miles

I know I'm not getting any $$ back. I hope someone sees this thread and avoids getting scammed. I'm going to keep this rig and enjoy it. Now I'm kind of irritated that the odo reads 65K not 350K. Any way to change that?